Improvement is desired in the making of blister packaging. In the process of loading objects to be packaged in the wells of the blister packaging, debris, dust, stray matter and the like become present in the wells. Conventionally, a vacuum is applied in an attempt to remove such debris and matter. Typically, the vacuum is applied to the open wells and the vacuum is spaced away from the wells in order to avoid sucking the objects loaded in the wells out of the wells.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art cleaning unit. The prior art cleaning unit utilizes a low suction pressure, less than about 760 Torrs. The prior art unit also utilizes a low air velocity, less than about 255 cfm at 1300 fpm. Further, the prior art unit is configured to provide a large gap G between the wells of blister packaging P and the source of the vacuum, at least about 1.25 inches, to distance the wells from the source of vacuum so that the objects in the well are not sucked out of the wells.
It has been observed that such a conventional vacuum unit provides inadequate removal of debris and other matter from the wells and has other shortcomings. The present disclosure addresses such shortcomings of the prior art.